When the nice folks at the Food Network asked us to create a dish for their Virtual Thanksgiving Table they requested that we pick one dish for a number of available categories, from which we—and only we—would represent. These categories included mashed potatoes, turkey, stuffing, green beans, mac and cheese (record skip).

Wait, so let’s get this straight. Well-respected outlets like Real Simple, Food and Wine and Epicurious actually passed over mac and cheese for dishes like vegetable pot pie and chestnut and sherry soup. Insanity. Ask yourself: Who at your Thanksgiving table wouldn’t want to dig into a steaming pan of the stuff? You see that photo at the top of the page. You're hungry now, no? Thought so.

We think you will really dig our recipe, which marries buttery fontina and sharp gruyère with tubular cavatappi. We also promise there will be no leftovers at your Thanksgiving table.